diff --git a/test/components/views/dialogs/InteractiveAuthDialog-test.js b/test/components/views/dialogs/InteractiveAuthDialog-test.js
index da8fc17001..50500ba6e3 100644
--- a/test/components/views/dialogs/InteractiveAuthDialog-test.js
+++ b/test/components/views/dialogs/InteractiveAuthDialog-test.js
@@ -68,50 +68,51 @@ describe('InteractiveAuthDialog', function () {
                 onFinished={onFinished}
             />, parentDiv);
 
-        // at this point there should be a password box and a submit button
-        const formNode = ReactTestUtils.findRenderedDOMComponentWithTag(dlg, "form");
-        const inputNodes = ReactTestUtils.scryRenderedDOMComponentsWithTag(
-            dlg, "input"
-        );
-        let passwordNode;
-        let submitNode;
-        for (const node of inputNodes) {
-            if (node.type == 'password') {
-                passwordNode = node;
-            } else if (node.type == 'submit') {
-                submitNode = node;
+        // wait for a password box and a submit button
+        test_utils.waitForRenderedDOMComponentWithTag(dlg, "form").then((formNode) => {
+            const inputNodes = ReactTestUtils.scryRenderedDOMComponentsWithTag(
+                dlg, "input"
+            );
+            let passwordNode;
+            let submitNode;
+            for (const node of inputNodes) {
+                if (node.type == 'password') {
+                    passwordNode = node;
+                } else if (node.type == 'submit') {
+                    submitNode = node;
+                }
             }
-        }
-        expect(passwordNode).toExist();
-        expect(submitNode).toExist();
+            expect(passwordNode).toExist();
+            expect(submitNode).toExist();
 
-        // submit should be disabled
-        expect(submitNode.disabled).toBe(true);
+            // submit should be disabled
+            expect(submitNode.disabled).toBe(true);
 
-        // put something in the password box, and hit enter; that should
-        // trigger a request
-        passwordNode.value = "s3kr3t";
-        ReactTestUtils.Simulate.change(passwordNode);
-        expect(submitNode.disabled).toBe(false);
-        ReactTestUtils.Simulate.submit(formNode, {});
+            // put something in the password box, and hit enter; that should
+            // trigger a request
+            passwordNode.value = "s3kr3t";
+            ReactTestUtils.Simulate.change(passwordNode);
+            expect(submitNode.disabled).toBe(false);
+            ReactTestUtils.Simulate.submit(formNode, {});
 
-        expect(doRequest.callCount).toEqual(1);
-        expect(doRequest.calledWithExactly({
-            session: "sess",
-            type: "m.login.password",
-            password: "s3kr3t",
-            user: "@user:id",
-        })).toBe(true);
+            expect(doRequest.callCount).toEqual(1);
+            expect(doRequest.calledWithExactly({
+                session: "sess",
+                type: "m.login.password",
+                password: "s3kr3t",
+                user: "@user:id",
+            })).toBe(true);
 
-        // there should now be a spinner
-        ReactTestUtils.findRenderedComponentWithType(
-            dlg, sdk.getComponent('elements.Spinner'),
-        );
+            // there should now be a spinner
+            ReactTestUtils.findRenderedComponentWithType(
+                dlg, sdk.getComponent('elements.Spinner'),
+            );
 
-        // let the request complete
-        q.delay(1).then(() => {
+            // let the request complete
+            return q.delay(1);
+        }).then(() => {
             expect(onFinished.callCount).toEqual(1);
             expect(onFinished.calledWithExactly(true, {a:1})).toBe(true);
-        }).done(done, done);
+        }).done(done);
     });
 });
diff --git a/test/test-utils.js b/test/test-utils.js
index aca91ad399..5209465362 100644
--- a/test/test-utils.js
+++ b/test/test-utils.js
@@ -1,11 +1,51 @@
 "use strict";
 
-var sinon = require('sinon');
-var q = require('q');
+import sinon from 'sinon';
+import q from 'q';
+import ReactTestUtils from 'react-addons-test-utils';
 
-var peg = require('../src/MatrixClientPeg.js');
-var jssdk = require('matrix-js-sdk');
-var MatrixEvent = jssdk.MatrixEvent;
+import peg from '../src/MatrixClientPeg.js';
+import jssdk from 'matrix-js-sdk';
+const MatrixEvent = jssdk.MatrixEvent;
+
+/**
+ * Wrapper around window.requestAnimationFrame that returns a promise
+ * @private
+ */
+function _waitForFrame() {
+    const def = q.defer();
+    window.requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+        def.resolve();
+    });
+    return def.promise;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Waits a small number of animation frames for a component to appear
+ * in the DOM. Like findRenderedDOMComponentWithTag(), but allows
+ * for the element to appear a short time later, eg. if a promise needs
+ * to resolve first.
+ * @return a promise that resolves once the component appears, or rejects
+ *     if it doesn't appear after a nominal number of animation frames.
+ */
+export function waitForRenderedDOMComponentWithTag(tree, tag, attempts) {
+    if (attempts === undefined) {
+        // Let's start by assuming we'll only need to wait a single frame, and
+        // we can try increasing this if necessary.
+        attempts = 1;
+    } else if (attempts == 0) {
+        return q.reject("Gave up waiting for component with tag: " + tag);
+    }
+
+    return _waitForFrame().then(() => {
+        const result = ReactTestUtils.scryRenderedDOMComponentsWithTag(tree, tag);
+        if (result.length > 0) {
+            return result[0];
+        } else {
+            return waitForRenderedDOMComponentWithTag(tree, tag, attempts - 1);
+        }
+    });
+}
 
 /**
  * Perform common actions before each test case, e.g. printing the test case